The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Geranium plant, botanically known as Geranium cinereum. ‘Noortlilac’ and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name, ‘Noortlilac’.
‘Noortlilac’ was derived from a breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Warmond, The Netherlands. The objectives of the breeding program were to develop new cultivars of Geranium cinereum in a range of flower colors that commence bloom early in the season and exhibit disease resistance, compact plant habits and rain resistance.
‘Noortlilac’ arose from a cross made in summer of 2010 between an unnamed and unpatented proprietary seedling of Geranium cinereum from the Inventor's breeding program as the female parent and Geranium cinereum ‘Laurence Flatman’ (not patented) as the male parent. The Inventor selected ‘Noortlilac’ as a single unique plant amongst the seedlings that resulted from the above cross in May of 2012.
Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was first accomplished by in vitro propagation by the Inventor in Otrebusy, Poland in April of 2014. Asexual propagation by in vitro propagation and root cuttings has determined that the characteristics of the new cultivar are stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.